Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-22
blame Mollie 1.-THE rocer's bill IS rath.

8
"Oh, Idon't blame Mollie for any
thing; / don't believe / would fine
fault with her for anything less thar
numbering the baby, she is such 8
treasure" s
Gam I to understand from that as
sertion that you would smile upor
her If she put me out of the way?
presume you would sir, but I can as
sure you she is TOO fond of her great
lOut OF q lover TO givey you one thought
if l were dead a dozen times. Queer
that such a nice girl should love such
specimen as he is"
"He possesses one characteristic O
q gentleman, he smokes good cigars
The kitchen was redolent with thu
smoke OF frst-class Havanas last
evening after he went away"
II am glad to hear that" laughed
Evelyn. ''r or that is an indication
OF extravagance, and if he is extrava
CANT he cannot very soon be in posi-
ton to take Mollie away from US
She says she will never marry him un
til they have together saved enough
to procure little home"
One night after Mollie had been with
us three months she saved the house
from being broken into by burglars
Our house dog, who always barked or
the slightest provocat:on, made so I'M
usual protest at sounds
which Evelyn and I slept through
all unconsciously that Mollie
arose and inspected the man
sion, and awakned me- a. few minutes
later, her brown eyes wide with fear.
IL saw man drop from the slant
ing roof" she said, land take to his
heels. I know some one was trying
to enter the house."
"And but for your watchfulness and
your nerve, he would have succeeded,
no doubt" | said. And then, after
the fashion Of brave men, when the
burglar has gone, l arose and made a
thorough investigation of the house.
Turned on all the gas jets and slam
med all the doors, as if to say:
.'Who's afraid?-not l."
During the next week I kept brace
OF pistols III my room, but slep:
soundly through all the noises of the
night: If happened to hear the dog
bark / turned over with contented
consciousness that Mollie would hear
and investigate. And like the man
who crept down stairs behind the
shelter OF his wifes skirts at a SIMILAR
luncture, I thought, cit would be a
very mean burglar who would harm a
woman anyhow"
Six weeks later Mollie aroused US
early in the morning with the start
ling announcement that the house
had been robbed. All the solid silver
was gone from the dining room and
the window was wide open.
l sprang to my feet and made a
clutch for my clothing which hung
over a chair. Yes, my purse. which
had left in one pocket, containing $25
was gone.
just then Evelyn moaned: ooh,
my rings and brooch are gone! left
them on the dresser and they are not
here!"
"Oh, EVELYN" I cried, chow foolish
and careless you were to leave your
jewelry there"
eyes, DEAR" Evelyn answered, meek
ly, II ought to have put it with your
watch under the pillow" and as she
spoke removed both pillows and dis.
closed the fact that my watch, too,
was missing.
1T would have been easier for the
burglars if we had only put everything
theywanted in one place, you know -
Evelyn added, maliciously, *'and am
50 glad you had your pistols handy,
John, DEAR"
Mollie IN the meantime had disap.
peared-possibly at the juncture when
made wild rush for my clothing
and now she reappeared with tear wet
eyes. "My room was entered, too,"
she said, land So of my money taken,
and my gold ring'
''Never mind, I'll make it all right
with you," / said, "but how was it
that you slept through it all, Mollie?"
81 don't know-only it had been
washing day and I was very tired"
"And did you hear the dog at ALP"
'No; l don't believe he barked.
can't understand it. Perhaps they
had druggged him during the day, or
something"
OF course l sent for the police, and
of course they took an inventory OF
the rooms and the missing articles,
and OF course they looked wise and
knowing, and OF course that was che
last of it. I paid Mollie her 50, and
her lover, Jim, supplied another ring
shortly, and the domestic machinery
went on as before.
"John," said Evelyn one day to me,
'*you must stop smoking so much, or
you'll be paralyzed one of these days.
1t is perfectly awful the amount of
cigars you consume"
II don't smoke any more than
used to-" said, 81 have kept just
about so for a good many years. "
"Why, John, you deceive yourself!
You have no idea how the habit is
gaining upon you. know by the
quantity Of cigars that are brought
to the house. just look over your
last two or three months accounts
and see for yourself"
"Well, will,'' I said, and brought
out my books. Evelyn looked over
my shoulder.
"Cigars: 14th ult.; cigars, 20; cigars,
25; cigars, 49," &c.
"You see, she said, "and every
time it was a box of CIGARS"
'Well, where are they now?" / ask
ed blankly.
echo answers, 'Where?' replied
Evelyn. "You have smoked them up,
John. You did not realize how the
habit was gaining upon you, but did
when saw those boxes come into the
house day after day, and as speedily
become empty"
"Maybe I get up in the night and
smoke" ! said, .but surely, Evelyn,
dear, ] am not conscious OF smoking
any oftener than did a year ago"
:. 'tWelI, they vanish. and I know
don't smoke 'em, and there are the